HED has pushed themselves back into the premium wheel world with their slippery fast Vanquish series rims and wheels. The full carbon rim designs are disc brake only and tubeless ready with a hook design that allows you to opt for clincher tires if desired. The proprietary Vanquish RC Pro rims are made by hand in Minnesota, U.S.A. and undergo an unprecedented level of quality control. The RC4 Pro rim shape itself is all-new, with an impressive 30mm max external width combined with a 21mm internal width. This results in superb aerodynamic performance with 23-28mm tires, with drag numbers that dip below -300g, with serious stability and a great ride quality. Ideally, this is an attacking wheelset for days when the climbs are as crucial as the descents. In fact, the RC4 tests fastest with a 25mm tire, which feels perfect for the overall 40mm depth and the 30mm width of this Vanquish RC4 Pro Front Wheel when grip and control need to augment speed and efficiency.

The Vanquish RC Pro's 110 GSM carbon fiber rim construction makes it lighter, stronger and faster than the competition. The width, shaping and tubeless construction has a hybrid spoked-carbon design, creating a stiff and efficient wheel for maximum power transfer. The rim is the crucial component of the Vanquish RC4 Pro Rear Wheel, but don't discount the excellent performance and reliability of HED's 545 Center Lock Disc Rear Hub, which employs a 5-pawl freehub system that engages fast and securely, while being simple to change out or service. The flanges are built for 24 j-bend spokes, and the rim design allows them to run 2x/2x in high tension with the lightly bladed stainless steel Sapim CX-Ray spokes, which are also light and offer superb ride quality. With a 12/142mm thru-axle configuration, the overall hub and wheel assembly offer great stiffness and efficiency throughout.

At 801 grams bare, this mid-section aero wheel is more than competitive in that respect, and again, it tests impressively fast without compromising control in the wind, or stability while accelerating or cornering in extreme situations. It is best matched with the Vanquish RC4 Pro Front Wheel and ridden on the new breed of disc road bikes with aero shapes, but a true all around weapon like the Specialized SL7 or Cervelo R5.